Fisherman&#39;s position buoy



March 12, 1935. w. J. McVlCKER FISHERMANS POSITION BUOY Filed Dec. 15, 1933 INVENTOR. cf V Wa Bite? 0% ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 12, .1935

* UNITED". STATES PATENT OFFICE I I v :q 5 1,993,974" =1 H FISHERMANYS Posrrroiv BUOY t Walter JJMcVicker, Minneapolis, Minn. ripplicatio n December 15, 1933, seria1No.702,501

13 Claims.

My "present-invention provides an extremely simple and highly eflicient device for use .es-

"necially.v by fishermen to mark locations onthe.

water ;and.which device, because of the major 5 purpose thereof, is herein designated as a-fisher- Referringto the'drawing:

mens position buoy.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel-devices, combinations of devices and arrangement of parts'hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

This device involves a. self-arighting float equipped with .asheave .or pulley to which is-at- "tachedacable provided at its freeend with an anchor. The nature of the float is such that when placed on the water, it will maintain a slightly inclined position: but closely approximating .a'horizontal position, and will rotatewhile travelling or revolving on'the line of a circle of small diameter while .the cable is beingunwound and :shortly after the anchor reaches the bottom or bed, will aright itself and stop further unwinding of the cable.

.A commercial form of the device is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein like char-- acters indicatejlikeflparts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the complete buoy withthe parts thereof assembled as when out of ig. 2 is an :end elevation of the buoy;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation with some parts sectioned, illustrating the action of the buoy while the cable is being unwound; and

Fig; 4 is an elevation showing the buoy, cable and anchor in position after the anchor has reached the bottom or bed of the lake or water bed. a

The major portion of the float herein designated as the float head may take various forms, but preferably is made of wood. This float head 5, as shown, is polygonal or rectangular in crosssection and is turned or formed with a cable sheave or small drum 6, on the outer flange of which is a cable-intercepting projection '7 of hooklike form. The secondary portion of the float is preferably formed by a light metal tube 8 that is telescopedinto the hub 6 and rigidly secured thereto by cement, friction or by any other suitable means. This tube projects axially from the hub 6 and is closed at its outer end except, preferably, for a small drain passage 9. In the wall of the tube, preferably close to the hub 6, are small fluid passageslO that perform an important function presently to be described.

-- A cablesuch as a fishline jl-l is anchored to and adapted toybe wound upon :the spool of the sheave 6. To the free end of the cable 11 =is;attached a metallic anchor 12 such as .a splitlead tube-8.'-' I -.As indicated, Figs/.1 and 2 show the-device with its anohorattache'd'gin condition for carrying, shipping or storing when not in use; 10 The .use of a buoyxof the above character is probably obvious. It is a wellknown fact that fishermen, when they once findla location where fish'a're biting, desire to mark thatspot so that theycan continue :fishing in the immediate vicini- -15 ty. When such a location is found, the fisherman, with this buoy, simply places it in the water in its horizontal position withthe anchor free, for examplashown in Fig.3. The device will assume 7 a slightly inclinedposition substantially as shown :2

in Fig. 3 and as the cable is unwound by, the sinking anchor, the whole device will be rotated. As the floatrotates, the enlarged and angular-float head will travel much faster than the smooth and smaller end of .the tube 8 and hencethe-float will .25 travel .a circular course of small diameter as the cable is .being'unwound and will not leavethe strikes the: bottom, .thespeedot" rotation of the float will be 'brought' gradually to a '35 complete rest, and within a few seconds after the anchor has reached the bottom, the water flowing into the tube will destroy the buoyancy of said tube so that the float will then assume a substantially vertical'position such as shown in 40 Fig. 4, and as the float approaches its vertical position, the hook or cable stop '7 will engage the cableand prevent further unwinding of the cable. During the few seconds that follow after the anchor has reached bottom and the float has as- 45 sumed a position to cause the hook '7 to engage the cable, there may be a slight further unwinding'of the cable due to vertical movements of the float caused by the waves, or if the water be perfectly smooth, therewill, at any rate, be a slight continued unwinding of the cable suflicient to prevent the anchor from being lifted from the bottom or bed under theaction of ordinary waves or rough water. 7

Obviously, when the buoy has assumed the po- 55 sition shown in Fig. 4, the float will be anchored very close the spot where the float was placed in the water. This float as will be noted, automatically takes care of all of the conditions required to render the float completely eflicient and to meet all of the conditions that will be encountered. The polygonal or irregular cross-section of the float head 5 serves to retard or slow-up the speed of rotation of the float while the cable is being unwound and lessens the tendency of, the float to continue a too much cable-unwinding movement after the anchor has reached bottom, and before the float has assumed its upright position in which the hook '7 prevents further. un-.

winding of the cable.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that'the hook 7 is of such form that when the cable has once engaged therewith, it will not be automatically released from the hook by tendency of the float to rotate in either direction.

The commercial form of the device illustrated is, of course, capable of modification within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and broadly claimed. 7

When the float is taken out of the water and held in an upright position, the water will quickly run from the tube 8 through the drain passage 9.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that the buoy described is not limited to any particular use but will find many uses other than for marking fishing beds. As a further example, the buoy will be found highly eflicient in marking race-courses.

What I claim is:

1. A buoy of the kind described comprising a float head provided with-an adjacent sheave and an axially projecting perforated air tube, and a cable attached to said sheave and provided at its free end with an anchor, said air tube being of a material heavier than water and when loaded with water, serving to cause said float to assum the upright position.

2. A buoy of .the kind described comprising a float head provided with an adjacent sheave and an axially projecting perforated air tube, and a cable attached to said sheave and provided at its free end with an anchor, said float adjacent its sheave having a projecting cable stop engageable with the cable to stop unwinding thereof when said float approaches a substantially upright position.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said sheave on its under portion is provided with a projecting cable stop engageable with the cable to stop unwinding movement of the cable when said float approaches an upright position.

4. The structure defined in claim 10 in which said float head is polygonal in cross-section.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said air tube is provided in its outer end with a drain passage through which water will freely flow from said air tube when the float is removed from the water and held in an upright position.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said air tube is provided in its outer end with a drain passage through which water will freely flow from said air tube when the float is removed from the water and held in an upright position, the other perforations in said air tube being closely adjacent to the said sheave.

7. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said anchor is of annular form and of a size to telescope onto said air tube.

8. The structure defined in claim 10 in which the said float head has an irregular cross-section deviating from a true circle and affording projections that retard the rotation of the float in the water. g

9. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said airv tube is constructed of materially less diameter than said float head and is provided with one or more peripheral perforations through which water will flow freely when the said float -is at rest, but through which the flow of water will be restricted or prevented'by centrifugal force when said float is being rotated in the water.

10. A buoy comprising a float head having a projecting hollow perforated stem of a material heavier than water and externally equipped with a cable-winding sheave, and an anchoring cable attached to said sheave.

11. A buoycomprising a float head having a projecting hollow perforated stem of a material heavier than Water and externally equipped with a cableewinding sheave, an anchoring cable attached to said sheave, and means for stopping unwinding of said cable from said sheave, rendered operative by a movement of said float from an approximately horizontal to an approximately upward position.

12. The structure defined in claim 10 in which said hollow perforated stem has some perforations located in its shell eccentric to the axis of the buoy. r

13. The structure defined in claim 11 in which said hollow perforated stem has a drainage passage at the, axis of its extended end and has certain of its perforations in its shell located eccentric to the axis of the float.

WALTER J. MCVICKER. 

